Comprehensive policy reforms across the Asia-Pacific region could enable businesses to access clean electricity around the clock, according to a new report published by the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA).
The study identifies South Korea, India, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam as key markets where targeted regulatory changes could help scale 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) systems. It calls for improvements in permitting processes, electricity market structures, and energy storage frameworks.
“The APAC region is the engine of global growth, but its success, security and sustainability depends on access to clean, reliable, and cost-effective energy,” said Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance.
The report outlines three areas of focus: policy and market reform, grid modernisation and storage, and corporate leadership. Key recommendations include introducing time-stamped renewable energy certificates, enhancing data transparency, and upgrading grid infrastructure to support hourly matching of clean energy supply and demand.
“Achieving 24/7 carbon-free energy in APAC is about building the renewables, grids and storage that businesses are demanding,” Douglas added.
Ali Izadi, head of Asia Pacific at BloombergNEF, said increasing access to electricity data is essential for tracking clean energy use. “The first step for regulators across Asia Pacific is to improve electricity data transparency and access, which will enable hourly renewable energy certificates,” he said.
“They should also ensure power market designs support a wide range of cost-effective, high-impact CFE procurement options,” Izadi added.
The report notes that as electricity demand in the region is expected to account for nearly 60% of global growth over the next 20 years, scaling advanced power purchase agreements and clean energy auctions could allow businesses to better align consumption with renewable generation.
